This invention relates to a pile system, and more particularly to a connector for engaging ends of pile segments when the pile is driven into the ground.
Many construction projects involve the use of wooden piles that are designed to support the structure above ground. The use of woodpiles is widespread in the areas where the soil conditions do not provide sufficient structural support to a building or other structure. Such areas can be found in sandy soils or in clay soils with large moisture content. Builders in the South of the United States are well familiar with the weak soil conditions and conventionally use woodpiles in support structures. One of the cities that is practically built on piles is New Orleans, La., where the clay conditions of the soil require the use of piles even in a small house construction.
In the past, the piles were made of cypress wood that was especially resistant to rot and termites. Eventually, the supplies of long timber were exhausted and modern builders have to utilize 30-foot piles as opposed to 60-foot piles that were available even a century ago. As a result, when a particularly heavy structure needs to be erected, the pile segments have to be connected end-to-end and driven into the ground.
The problem with using smaller length piles is that the pile segments can deviate from the desired strictly vertical orientation, which will result in weakening of the pile system. The weakening of the pile system can also be created when the ends of the piles not being cut strictly level, which will tend to place the upper segment of the pile at an angle in a relation to a vertical axis of the lower pile segment.
Various devices have been used to prevent weakening of the pile system. One of them is the use of a cylindrical sleeve that fits over the area of connection between the two pile segments. Such sleeves are conventionally squeezed around the abutting ends of the pile segments and tend to “grip” the pile segments as they are driven into the soil. However, this system is not perfect and deviations from the strictly vertical orientation of the pile when using this system have been noted.
The present invention contemplates elimination of drawbacks associated with the prior art and provision of a woodpile connector that would help retain the pile segments in a vertical orientation regardless of the cut level of the connecting segments.